This final play from the pen of Oscar Wilde is a stylish send-up of Victorian courtship and manners, complete with assumed names, mistaken lovers, and a lost handbag. Jack and Algernon are best friends, both wooing ladies who think their names are Ernest, "that name which inspires absolute confidence". Wilde's effervescent wit, scathing social satire, and high farce make this one of the most cherished plays in the English language.

4 out of 5 stars

Delightfully silly

By
Tad Davis
on
09-12-11

Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde

In Aid of the Royal Theatrical Fund

By:
Oscar Wilde

Narrated by:
Judi Dench,
Jeremy Irons,
Joanna Lumley,
and others

Length: 3 hrs and 54 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
244

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
204

Story

4 out of 5 stars
205

Here is a collection of the Oscar Wilde's famous fairy tales, read by a cast of leading British actors. Additional narrators include Geoffrey Palmer O.B.E., Sir Donald Sinden, and Elaine Stritch. Music: 'Reverie De Sebastian' by Steve Davies.

Four classic comedies from one of the wittiest playwrights in Western literature:
Lady Windermere's Fan,
A Woman of No Importance,
An Ideal Husband, and
The Importance of Being Earnest, all featuring star-studded casts with the likes of Jacqueline Bisset, Miriam Margolyes, James Marsters, Alfred Molina, Roger Rees, Yeardley Smith, Eric Stoltz, and many more. This audio also includes a chilling dramatization of Wilde's sole novel,
The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Devilishly attractive Lord Illingworth is notorious for his skill as a seducer. But he is still invited to all the "best" houses, while his female conquests must hide their shame in seclusion. In this devastating drawing-room comedy, Oscar Wilde uses his celebrated wit to expose English society's narrow view of everything from sexual mores to Americans.

A tender love story, a serpentine villainess, a glittering setting in London society, and a showering of Wildean witticism are only a few of the reasons why this play has enjoyed hugely successful revivals in London, in New York, and on the silver screen. This 1895 drama is eerily prescient, as it examines the plight of a promising politician, desperate to hide a secret in his past. With empathy and wit, Oscar Wilde explores the pitfalls of holding public figures to higher standards than the rest of us.

4 out of 5 stars

a Wildely Wicked and WItty Play

By
Kelly
on
01-27-17

As You Like It

By:
William Shakespeare

Narrated by:
Lynn Collins,
Alexis Jacknow,
Jeff Gardner,
and others

Length: 2 hrs and 14 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
10

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
9

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
8

Love triumphs in As You Like It, Shakespeare's joyous comic adventure! Rosalind, arguably Shakespeare's greatest female character, is banished from court and follows her exiled father into the untamed Forest of Arden. Disguised as a man for safety, Rosalind's great wit and good nature show through her male trappings as she engages with fools and philosophers adrift in the woods, and ultimately falls in love.

The Importance of Being Earnest (Dramatized)

By:
Oscar Wilde

Narrated by:
James Marsters,
Charles Busch,
Emily Bergl,
and others

Length: 1 hr and 58 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,484

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,294

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,291

This final play from the pen of Oscar Wilde is a stylish send-up of Victorian courtship and manners, complete with assumed names, mistaken lovers, and a lost handbag. Jack and Algernon are best friends, both wooing ladies who think their names are Ernest, "that name which inspires absolute confidence". Wilde's effervescent wit, scathing social satire, and high farce make this one of the most cherished plays in the English language.

4 out of 5 stars

Delightfully silly

By
Tad Davis
on
09-12-11

Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde

In Aid of the Royal Theatrical Fund

By:
Oscar Wilde

Narrated by:
Judi Dench,
Jeremy Irons,
Joanna Lumley,
and others

Length: 3 hrs and 54 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
244

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
204

Story

4 out of 5 stars
205

Here is a collection of the Oscar Wilde's famous fairy tales, read by a cast of leading British actors. Additional narrators include Geoffrey Palmer O.B.E., Sir Donald Sinden, and Elaine Stritch. Music: 'Reverie De Sebastian' by Steve Davies.

Four classic comedies from one of the wittiest playwrights in Western literature:
Lady Windermere's Fan,
A Woman of No Importance,
An Ideal Husband, and
The Importance of Being Earnest, all featuring star-studded casts with the likes of Jacqueline Bisset, Miriam Margolyes, James Marsters, Alfred Molina, Roger Rees, Yeardley Smith, Eric Stoltz, and many more. This audio also includes a chilling dramatization of Wilde's sole novel,
The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Devilishly attractive Lord Illingworth is notorious for his skill as a seducer. But he is still invited to all the "best" houses, while his female conquests must hide their shame in seclusion. In this devastating drawing-room comedy, Oscar Wilde uses his celebrated wit to expose English society's narrow view of everything from sexual mores to Americans.

A tender love story, a serpentine villainess, a glittering setting in London society, and a showering of Wildean witticism are only a few of the reasons why this play has enjoyed hugely successful revivals in London, in New York, and on the silver screen. This 1895 drama is eerily prescient, as it examines the plight of a promising politician, desperate to hide a secret in his past. With empathy and wit, Oscar Wilde explores the pitfalls of holding public figures to higher standards than the rest of us.

4 out of 5 stars

a Wildely Wicked and WItty Play

By
Kelly
on
01-27-17

As You Like It

By:
William Shakespeare

Narrated by:
Lynn Collins,
Alexis Jacknow,
Jeff Gardner,
and others

Length: 2 hrs and 14 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
10

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
9

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
8

Love triumphs in As You Like It, Shakespeare's joyous comic adventure! Rosalind, arguably Shakespeare's greatest female character, is banished from court and follows her exiled father into the untamed Forest of Arden. Disguised as a man for safety, Rosalind's great wit and good nature show through her male trappings as she engages with fools and philosophers adrift in the woods, and ultimately falls in love.

She Stoops to Conquer

Mistakes of the Night

By:
Oliver Goldsmith

Narrated by:
Rosalind Ayres,
Adam Godley,
Julian Holloway,
and others

Length: 1 hr and 51 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
76

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
73

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
73

Starring James Marsters, this classic comedy of manners from 1773 is still widely performed and studied. Love, lies, and dysfunctional families. Sound like your last family gathering? Try this one on for laughs. Two randy young gents, Charles and George, set out to woo the alluring and upper-crust Kate and Constance. But inexperienced Charles is shy and clumsy around upper-class ladies, so it’s the barmaid who catches his eye. But is she really who she seems?

5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful performances and production. Fun story!

By
MillenniumMike
on
10-31-12

Stephen Fry Presents a Selection of Oscar Wilde's Short Stories

By:
Oscar Wilde

Narrated by:
Stephen Fry

Length: 2 hrs and 15 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
213

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
166

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
166

"Oscar Wilde's Fairy Tales continue to exert the same pull over the imagination and emotions as they did when he first read them to his children in the 1880s. Written with inspired poetic intensity and sudden flowerings of the matchless wit for which he is so well remembered, the stories combine the wisdom of parables with the impact of drama."

A new recording of Henrik Ibsen's masterpiece, starring Calista Flockhart. Nora Helmer has everything a young housewife could want: beautiful children, an adoring husband, and a bright future. But when a carelessly buried secret rises from the past, Nora's well-calibrated domestic ideal starts to crumble. Ibsen's play is as fresh today as it was when it first stormed the stages of 19th-century Europe.

Cyrano is a brash, strong-willed man of many talents whose whimsical aptitude for the spoken word is overshadowed by an attribute that is iconic, outrageous, and gigantic - his nose. How can the curiously snouted Cyrano ever hope to win the affections of the beautiful Roxane?

Eight of George Bernard Shaw's most memorable plays in one splendid collection:
Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Arms and the Man, Candida, The Devil’s Disciple, Major Barbara, The Doctor’s Dilemma, Misalliance, and
Pygmalion.

5 out of 5 stars

Impressive Collection of Shaw

By
Michael
on
10-04-12

Macbeth

By:
William Shakespeare

Narrated by:
James Marsters,
Joanne Whalley,
Josh Cooke,
and others

Length: 1 hr and 59 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
266

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
243

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
241

Infamously known as the cursed Scottish play, Macbeth is perhaps Shakespeare’s darkest tragedy. When General Macbeth is foretold by three witches that he will one day be King of Scotland, Lady Macbeth convinces him to get rid of anyone who could stand in his way – including committing regicide. As Macbeth ascends to the throne through bloody murder, he becomes a tyrant consumed by fear and paranoia.

5 out of 5 stars

Might want to Read Along

By
SydSavvy
on
02-03-14

Oedipus the King

By:
Sophocles

Narrated by:
full cast

Length: 1 hr and 46 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
184

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
152

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
151

In Sophocles' tragedy, Oedipus discovers that he has been caught in his terrible destiny, unknowingly murdering his father and marrying his mother.

A Fun Twist on the best Sherlock Holmes story

Fathers and Sons

By:
Ivan Turgenev

Narrated by:
David Horovitch

Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
128

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
116

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
115

When Arkady Petrovich comes home from college, his father finds his eager, naive son changed almost beyond recognition, for the impressionable Arkady has fallen under the powerful influence of the friend he has brought with him. A self-proclaimed nihilist, the ardent young Bazarov shocks Arkady's father by criticising the landowning way of life and by his outspoken determination to sweep away the traditional values of contemporary Russian society.

5 out of 5 stars

Romantic Russian Novel

By
Candida
on
07-04-15

The Canterville Ghost [Classic Tales Edition]

By:
Oscar Wilde

Narrated by:
B. J. Harrison

Length: 1 hr and 12 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
286

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
246

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
245

The ghost that haunts Canterville Chase has built a marvelous career of midnight haunting. But when an American family moves in, they simply have no respect for permanent bloodstains, nightmarish chains, or ancient legends. They even throw pillows at him.

5 out of 5 stars

What a treat!

By
debbye scroggins
on
06-10-17

The Misanthrope

By:
Richard Wilbur (translator),
Molière

Narrated by:
Brian Bedford,
J. D. Cullum,
Sarah Drew,
and others

Length: 1 hr and 51 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
29

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
27

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
27

This timeless comedy of manners is considered one of Molière’s most probing and mature works. While it’s still an exemplar of 16th-century farce, Molière went beyond his usual comic inventiveness to create a world of rich, complex characters, especially in the cynical title character Alceste, played here by the Tony Award-winning actor Brian Bedford.

5 out of 5 stars

Good play, great translation, good performance

By
Timoteo
on
03-08-18

Publisher's Summary

A dark tale of hubris, lust, and self-destruction…as told by a man who famously fell prey to those same impulses in his own life. Oscar Wilde wrote his original interpretation of the Biblical story of Salomé in French, and the play was so controversial that no theatre in England would produce it for nearly four decades. Includes a conversation with director Michael Hackett and Wilde scholar David Rodes. An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast production starring: Rosalind Ayres as Herodias, James Marsters as Iokanaan, Andre Sogliuzzo as The Young Syrian and others, Kate Steele as Salomé, John Vickery as Hero, Matthew Wolf as Page of Herodias and others. Music by Djivan Gasparyan and Lian Ensemble. Directed by Michael Hackett. Recorded by L.A. Theatre Works before a live audience.

First Rate Production!

As I contemplate going to see Salome at the Santa Fe Opera this morning I thought it would be nice to review the play that started it all, Oscar Wilde's Salome. I'm not sure that our age is capable of the genius he shows in this writing. Oh he takes liberties with the story for sure, but wow! The story line is incredible, the understanding that Oscar Wilde had of the scriptures and the culture of antiquity that allowed him to take the liberties he did is truly astounding. Tell you the truth, my previous knowledge of Oscar Wilde consisted of anecdotes and some smart epitaph on a tombstone. Listening to this makes me want to read and hear more of his work. I also have to say that the LATW did a wonderful job. I only wish I had been there to see it on stage. The audio was great and opened up my imagination. Exquisite work!

Great performance of a more mature play

Even as an Oscar Wilde fan, I've found it hard to find productions or even printed copies of Salome - it seems it's not nearly as popular as Wilde's comedies, though it is a much more complex and mature work. I loved the play, and this production....I hope one day to see it performed on stage. LA Theatreworks always put together great radio productions, and this one is no exception.

I also liked the interview afterwards (approx 15 minutes) regarding Wilde and the situations surrounding the creation and production of Salome.

Kind of a Dud

What disappointed you about Salomé?

This play was touted as being scandalous for its time period, and maybe it was, but in this day and age it's just dull. I couldn't care less about the characters and didn't find the dialogue witty or amusing at all.

What could Oscar Wilde have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I was expecting more of his usual wit, and perhaps something more of comedy noire. Even if I didn't have my own expectations set high because of my love of his other plays, I still wouldn't have liked it.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrators do a good job of giving the characters a unique voice and adding emotional subtext, but unfortunately the story is just lame.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment...I didn't really find it that scandalous, it wasn't funny, it didn't even hit the right notes for tragedy (i.e. Romeo and Juliet, Oedipus Rex), and I felt like you might as well just read the biblical version and not bother with Wilde's retelling.

Any additional comments?

Nope.

Sort by:

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

JB

01-03-18

Oscar Wilde

A great performance by all those involved. Stay on to the end as there is a great lecture on chapter 7.